Six states, including California, have laws banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.

But laws aren’t enough to stop the dangerous practice, according to one advocacy group.

The National Safety Council, an Itasca, Ill.-based nonprofit, has launched a billboard campaign to discourage cell-phone use while driving.

The billboards are located along highways in 37 states, including California. They can be found in Perris and San Jacinto in Riverside County. The campaign is sponsored by Nationwide Insurance Co. and Lamar Advertising.

About 1 million people a day are expected to see the billboards, which include a Web site address, www.deathbycell phone.org, where viewers can watch a video that tells the stories of two people killed by drivers using cell phones.

California, Washington, Utah, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and the District of Columbia ban hand-held cell phones while driving.

It’s too soon to say whether California’s law, which took effect a year ago, has reduced the number of collisions, said California Highway Patrol Officer Hope Maxson.

“Though I don’t believe everyone is complying with the law, I do think there are more drivers who are not talking on their cell phones than one year ago,” Maxson said. “Many people do obey the law.”

The National Safety Council’s campaign comes after the deaths of Linda Doyle, a 61-year-old Oklahoma woman, and Joe Teater, a 12-year-old Michigan boy.

Joe was riding in a vehicle that was struck on the passenger side by a young woman who ran a red light while distracted on a cell phone, said his father, David Teater, who now works for the council.

Other activities may be more dangerous than talking on a phone while driving, Teater said. But cell-phone use occurs more frequently and for longer durations than other riskier behaviors, according to the council.

Motorists are unaware of the “cognitive distraction” caused by talking on a cell phone or sending text messages while driving, he said.

“It’s just not possible for our brains to focus on the road and the call or text,” Teater said.

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